1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to collapsible containers and is more particularly concerned with a collapsible container which can be righted to form an open top recepticle or folded to a flat condition when not in use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, collapsible containers of various kinds have been produced. For example, paper board cartons, which are shipped in a collapsed or flattened condition, are used extensively, the carton being righted by squaring the side walls and folding in and sealing the top and bottom flaps.
Metal and plastic collapsible containers have also been devised. One plastic container, known as the "Perry" container, has walls which are hinged to a flat rigid bottom, the walls folding upwardly to vertical positions. The ends of such walls are latched together. The "Perry" container is expensive, requires considerable time to assemble and disassemble, and does not lend itself to machine righting or to cross-tying on a pallet. U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,592 illustrates one type of collapsible container with fold up sides.
When eggs are shipped in conventional corrugated cases, the cartons of eggs must fit snuggly therein or else the case will bow out. However, tight fitting cartons cause egg breakage. With conventional wire cases, these cases must taper for nesting one within the next. This means that the egg cartons at the bottom must fit tightly and those at the top, loosely. The truck width prevents the widening of such prior art wire cases to receive both the large egg carton and the jumbo carton.